The District Planning & Development Board (DPDB), Dimapur has called for collective action to improve sanitation in the district, strengthen monitoring of private students’ hostels and introduce clearer procedures for registration and renewal of unions, societies and welfare organisations.
The monthly DPDB meeting, held at the DC’s Conference Hall on Wednesday, was chaired by Advisor Industries & Commerce Hekani Jakhalu, while Deputy Commissioner and DPDB Vice Chairman Dr Tinojongshi Chang initiated the meeting.
Emphasising that sanitation was a shared responsibility, Jakhalu called for coordinated efforts by government departments, urban local bodies and citizens to make Dimapur cleaner and healthier.
She said sanitation could not be left solely to municipal councils or the government and required greater community ownership. Government servants, she said, should go beyond their assigned duties and contribute towards improving cleanliness, particularly during the monsoon when flooding and improper waste disposal become major concerns.
Jakhalu pointed to clogged drains and indiscriminate dumping as major contributors to Dimapur’s sanitation problems, saying the issue affected not only the environment but also public health and quality of life.
Dr Chang informed the meeting that the district administration had been entrusted with monitoring sanitation through monthly online reporting under the Solid Waste Management Rules. However, waste segregation at source remained below 10 per cent in the district.
He urged DPDB members to incorporate sanitation awareness into departmental programmes and village outreach activities and proposed that the Dimapur Municipal Council and East Dimapur Town Council make presentations at the next DPDB meeting on waste management practices, challenges and measures required to improve segregation.
The Board also reviewed preparations for Reform Utsav, a citizen-centric governance reform initiative aimed at identifying public concerns and developing actionable reform plans through a bottom-up approach.
Dr Chang said the initiative sought to strengthen grassroots participation by enabling citizens to bring their grievances and suggestions directly to concerned departments. The district-level process will focus on awareness, participation, service delivery, implementation, monitoring and follow-up action, with around 21 departments involved.
ADC Dimapur Dr Diana Patton informed the meeting that the campaign would officially commence on October 2 and continue through December. Departments are currently conducting awareness activities at village and ward levels involving ward authorities, village councils, urban local bodies and educational institutions.
Departments were asked to coordinate activities, share updates and photographs through the designated WhatsApp group and make optimum use of available resources, as no separate funding had been received for the initiative. The programme is also linked to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The meeting discussed district-wide verification, registration and joint inspection of private students’ hostels in Dimapur following observations by a vigilance committee constituted under the Naga Council, Dimapur.
The committee reportedly identified lapses in some hostels, including the absence of clear operational guidelines, unrestricted movement of students and cases where boys and girls were accommodated within the same compound.
The District Education Officer informed the meeting that there was currently no specific regulation under the School Education Department governing the establishment and operation of private hostels. Applications were processed through field verification and issuance of No Objection Certificates, but there was no systematic mechanism for maintaining records or conducting periodic inspections.
The DEO said the department had already approached the Principal Director, School Education, seeking regulations for private hostels, and suggested verification of existing establishments as their number had increased.
Members raised concerns over the safety, supervision, hygiene and overall environment of private hostels, particularly those operating from buildings without adequate outdoor facilities. They stressed that parents entrusted hostel operators and teachers with the care of students and that proper guidelines were therefore essential.
The meeting agreed that inspections should be based on clear regulations and a standard checklist rather than arbitrary assessments. The DPDB decided to take up the matter with the concerned State departments for formulation of comprehensive guidelines on registration, verification and inspection of private hostels.
The Board also discussed the need for proper verification of unions, societies and welfare organisations before registration, amid concerns over organisations allegedly engaging in activities beyond their stated objectives and imposing various fees or charges on businesses.
Officials informed the meeting that several applications were pending verification and that field verification was being conducted before applications were forwarded for registration to ascertain whether organisations had genuine offices and were actually functioning.
Members raised concerns over the mushrooming of unions and associations in different localities and the potential misuse of registration provisions. At the same time, they stressed that genuine organisations should not be denied registration because of the activities of others.
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The DPDB recommended that the Home Department issue clear guidelines and a uniform checklist for registration and renewal of societies and associations. It was also suggested that organisations operating in areas connected with specific departments obtain an NOC from the concerned department wherever necessary.
The Board said stronger scrutiny and periodic verification would help ensure that registered organisations function according to their stated objectives while protecting businesses and the wider public from unwarranted demands.
Following a presentation on TB Mukt Bharat by the District Tuberculosis Officer, Dimapur, the meeting called for greater participation of government departments and other sections of society in supporting people undergoing TB treatment.
ADC Dr Diana Patton urged government officers to encourage their respective departments to voluntarily provide nutritional and other necessary support to TB patients, particularly in areas with a higher concentration of cases.
Jakhalu suggested that the initiative be taken up department-wise rather than being limited to officers attending the DPDB meeting. She urged Heads of Departments to discuss the programme with their staff and encourage voluntary participation without putting anyone under pressure.
The initiative is open to government employees, elected representatives, business establishments, civil society organisations, churches, NGOs, youth and student groups, educational institutions, self-help groups and other organisations.
Contribution forms were distributed, with a minimum contribution of ₹500 for a minimum period of six months, to support nutritional assistance and other needs of TB patients.
Meanwhile, Dr Chang informed the meeting that a blood donation drive would be held at Emmanuel College on October 1 and encouraged willing donors to participate.
He also informed that subsidised onions were being sold in Dimapur at ₹35 per kilogram through MARCOFED, in coordination with central agencies including the National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) and NAFED, under the Price Stabilization Fund initiative.
